Steam-engine.



G. E. RIBLET.

sum ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 0011.24, 1906.

901,472. v Paten ted Och-20,1908.

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G. E. RIBLET.

STEAM ENG-ZINE.

APPLICATION rI'Lnn 00121, 1906. v

[901,472 Patented 0011.20, 1908.

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ml: NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, n. cy

G. E. RIBLET.

STEAM ENGINE. LI'PLIOATION FILED OOT ZLJBOB.

901,472. Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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G. E. RIBLET.

STEAM ENGINE. APILIOATIOK EILED 001.24, 1906.

901,472.- Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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. G. E RIBLET.

STEAM ENGINE.

nnonmn rum) 001224, 1900.

901 ,472, I A Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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GEORGE E. RIBLET, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

STE AM-ENGINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed 0ctober 24, 1906. Serial No. 340,249.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RIBLnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam engines and consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

It is desirable to give the valves controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to engine cylinders a certain amount of lap. It is also desirable to give to the engine a certain amount of compression at theend of the exhaust stroke. In order to get a desirable amount of lap of a valve-in the ordinary single valve type of engine, it is necessary to compress quite a volume of steam at the end of the stroke and in order to relieve this compression and keep it within desirable limits, it has been customary to provide the engine with ports of considerable length so that the clearance space and loss incident thereto have been excessive. One of the features of this invention is to provide a construction in which these lengths are very much reduced without detracting from simplicity of construction. In carrying out this feature of the invention, I provide a storage chamber into which the steam may pass after the exhaust is closed so as to provide a suflicient clearance space to relieve compression with the desirable amount of lap to the valve. I also provide means for trapping this steam in the storage chamber, and afterwards deliver it to the engine during the power stroke, preferably when the steam of the power stroke has reached approximately the same pressure and temperature as the steam so trapped in the storage chamber. By this means I have been able to make the ports leading from the steam chest to the cylinder very short and thus reduce the losses incident to the clearance usual with this type of engine.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure 1 shows a central section through the cylinder and steam chest with the working parts therein in the position assumed at the point where the exhaust is cut oil and compression begins. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in a position assumed at the point out out in the power stroke. Fig. 3, a similar view with the ports advanced to the position in which the trapped steam is delivered to the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a section through the steam chest showing the valve in elevation, the valve being partially in sec tion to better show the construction. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the steam chest with the cover removed.

1 marks the cylinder, 2 the piston and 3 the piston rod. These are of ordinary construction. The steam chest 4 is provided with a cover 5 communicating with the cylinder through the ports 6 and 7. These ports extend directly from the ends of the cylinder into the steam chest, so as to reduce the clearance to a minimum. Adjacent to the ports are the valve seats 8 on which operate the valve 9. The valve is partially balanced through the action of the pressure plates 10. These pressure plates rest on the ledges 11 (see Fig. 4i), and the valve seats on the surfaces 12 extending from the sides of these ledges. The upper part of the valve is provided with a strip 13 so as to maintain a steam tight joint. Steam is admitted to the center of the steam chest and exhausts at the ends.

The pressure plates 10 rest on the ledges 11 as before stated, these ledges being scraped to form steam tight joints, having reference to the pressure plates themselves and to give the proper space for the valve between the pressure plates and the valve seats. The studs 14 are screwed into the edges of the pressure plates so that the pressure plates may be readily adjusted. They are locked in position by the adjusting nuts 15. The pressure plates are provided with the cavities 16 opposite the ports 6 and 7 to give the usual double ported effect.

The valve is provided with the storage chambers 17, one in each end. These chambers are connected by the passages 18 (see Fig. 4), with a port 19 which leads through the valve. The steam ports 20 are arranged in the valve nearer the center than the ports 19 so as to give a double ported effect to the valve. The port 20 extends between the passages 18 as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Starting with the parts as shown in Fig.

1, viewing the left end of the cylinder, the valve has advanced to a position which closes the exhaust. The port 19,-however, is still in communication with the port 6 so that the steam as it is compressed in the cylinder with the further movement of the piston enters the storage chamber 17 As the valve and piston advance the port 19 is brought over the valve seat 8 and under the pressure plate so that it is entirely closed, thus entrapping the steam in the chamber 17. The valve continues to travel until the steam is admitted to the cylinder through the port 6, the port 20 and cavity 16 giving the common double ported efiect. In Fig. 2 the piston has advanced during the return stroke to the point of cut oil. In Fig. 3 the piston has advanced to a position bringing the port 19 into communication with the port 6 so that the steam entrapped in the chamber 17 is delivered to the cylinder doing the work incident to expansion. By this construction the clearance which it is necessary to fill with steam at full pressure is reduced to a minimum and the steam at lower temperature ordinarily retained in the large clearance space does not effect it until it has expanded to a point of'similar pressure and temperature, so that the full efliciency of the live steam is obtained and at the same time the full expansive force of the steam necessarily entrapped through the over lap of the valve is saved. In the preferred construction shown, this is accomplished without the addition of a single art to the engine.

hat I claim as new is:

1. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; the piston operating therein; a storage chamber; and devices connecting the storage chamber and the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting them and again connecting them during the power stroke.

2. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; the piston operating therein; a storage chamber; and devices connecting the storage chamber and the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting them and again connecting them during the power stroke at a point in the power stroke when the cylinder pressure approximates the storage chamber pressure.

3. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder arranged to take steam at both ends; a piston operating therein; storage chambers, one for each end of the cylinder; and devices connecting the storage chamber at each end of the cylinder with its end of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, disconnecting the storage chamber and again connecting the storage chamber during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder.

4. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder arranged to take steam at both ends; a piston operating therein; storage chambers, one for each end of the cylinder; and devices connecting the storage chamber at each end of the cylinder with its end of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, disconnecting the storage chamber and again connecting the storage chamber during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder at a point in the power stroke when the cylinder pressure approximates the storage chamber pressure.

In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; a piston operating therein; a storage chamber; and a valve controlling the exhaust from the cylinder, controlling the storage chamber for connecting the same to the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke.

6. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; a piston operating therein; a storage chamber; and a valve controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinder and controlling said storage chamber for connecting it with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke.

7. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; a piston operating therein; a storage chamber and a valve controlling the exhaust from the cylinder, controlling the storage chamber for connecting the same to the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke at a point in the power stroke when the cylinder pressure approximates the storage chamber pressure.

8. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; a piston operating therein; a storage chamber; and a valve controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and from the cylinder and controlling said storage chamber for connecting it with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke at a point in the power stroke when the cylinder pressure approximates the storage chamber pressure.

9. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder adapted to take steam at both ends; a piston operating in the cylinder; storage chambers, one at each end of the cylinder; a single valve controlling the exhaust at both ends of the cylinder and the storage chambers for connecting each chamber with its end of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the engine, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke of the engine.

10. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder adapted to take steam at both ends;

a piston operating in the cylinder; storage chambers, one at each end of the cylinder; a single valve controlling the admission and exhaust of steam at both ends of the cylinder and the storage chamber for connecting each chamber with its end of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, disconnecting it and again connecting it during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder.

11. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder having the port 6 therein; a piston operating in the cylinder; a storage chamber; the valve 9 having the port 19 arranged therein adapted to be brought into and out of register with the port 6 to connect the storage chamber with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the engine, to discon nect it and again connect it during the power stroke of the engine.

12. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder having a port 6 therein; a piston operating in the cylinder; a steam chest; pressure plate 10 arranged in the steam chest; a storage chamber; a valve operating over the port 6 and under the pressure plate 10, said pressure plate having a cavity 16 opposite the port 6 and the valve having a port 19 arranged to connect the storage chamber with the cylinder through the port 6 during the exhaust of the engine and acting with the cavity 16 to form a double ported exhaust for the engine and to disconnect the .storage chamber from the cylinder and to again connect it during the power stroke of the engine.

18. In a steam engine the combinatlon of the cylinder; a piston arranged therein; a

valve controlling the exhaust from the cylinder; a storage chamber arranged in the valve, said valve being arranged to connect the storage chamber with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the engine, to disconnect it and again connect it during the power stroke of the engine.

14. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder; a piston arranged therein; a valve controlling the exhaust from the cylinder; a storage chamber arranged in the valve, said valve being arranged to connect the storage chamber with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the engine, to disconnect it and again connect it during the power stroke of the engine at a point in the power stroke when the storage chamber pressure approximates the cylinder pressure.

15. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder adapted to take steam at both ends; a piston arranged therein; a valve controlling the exhaust from the cylinder at both ends; storage chambers arranged in said valve, one for each end, said valve being arranged to connect each chamber with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, to disconnect it and again connect it during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder.

16. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder; a piston operating therein; a valve controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and fromthe cylinder; a storage chamber arranged in the valve, said valve being arranged to admit steam to the stor' age chamber during the exhaust stroke of the cylinder to disconnect said storage chamher from the cylinder and again connect it during the power stroke of the cylinder.

17. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder arranged to take steam at both ends; a piston operating in the cylinder; a valve controlling the admission and exhaust of steam to and from both ends of the cylinder; storage chambers one for each end of the cylinder arranged in said valve, said valve being arranged to connect each chamber with its end of the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, to disconnect it and again connect it with the cylinder during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder.

18. I11 a steam engine the combination of a cylinder; a piston operating therein; a storage chamber; a valve controlling the admission of steam to the cylinder, said valve being arranged to connect the cylinder with the storage chamber during the exhaust stroke of the engine, to disconnect the same and again connect the storage chamber with the cylinder during the power stroke of the engine.

19. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder arranged to take steam at both ends; a piston arranged in the cylinder; storage chambers, one for each end of the cylinder; a single valve controlling the admission of steam to both ends of the cylinder, said valve being arranged to connect the storage chambers each with its end of the cylinder during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder, to disconnect it and again connect it during the power stroke of its end of the cylinder.

20. In a steam engine the combination of a cylinder; a piston operating therein; a valve controlling the admission of steam to the cylinder; a storage chamber arranged in the valve, said valve being arranged to connect the chamber with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of the engine, to disconnect it and again connect it during the power stroke of the engine.

21. In a steam engine the combination of the cylinder having the ports 6 and 7; the piston 2 operating in the cylinder; the valve 9 having the steam ports 20 therein and ports 19 therein; the pressure plates 10 arranged over the valve and having the cavities 16 opposite the ports 6 and 7; the storage chambers 17 connected with the ports 19, the ports 19 being arranged to connect each storage chamber 17 with the cylinder during the exhaust stroke of its end of the cylinder, to disconnect said storage chamber and again connect it during the power strokes of its end of the cylinder.

GEORGE E. RIBLETQ \Vitnesses A. J DUNN, CLARK M. COLE. 

